Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called upon Jammu and Kashmir Government, which is ruled by the PDP-BJP coalition, to end subsidy culture, become self dependent and adopt four major schemes pertaining to water supply, agriculture and education, which were rated as best schemes of four BJP ruled States including Gujarat, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Haryana.
Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and other senior Cabinet Ministers and BJP leaders this evening held five hours long brainstorming session with 14 BJP-ruled States’ Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Minister in the Union capital to review working of the party Governments and ensure better coordination among them by adopting best rated scheme of one State in the others.
Sources told the Excelsior that since BJP has come to power for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with the PDP, working of the State Government came up for extensive review in the meeting that lasted five hours from 6 pm to 11 pm.
There was unanimity in the meeting that Jammu and Kashmir instead of giving subsidies to the people, which has been culture here since long, should make the State and its people self-dependent.
“The assistance given to the people should be such that they work and become self-dependent. The subsidy culture should end now. The people should be empowered instead of being made further dependent on the Governments-be it the State Government or the Centre Government,” sources said.
Noting that there was special focus on women empowerment in Jammu and Kashmir at the high-level meeting, sources said the Prime Minister and the BJP president were clearly of the view that both Centre and State Governments were ready to work together to give any kind of assistance to the State but with the clear motive of empowering the people to make them self-dependent and not keeping them dependent on subsidies.
Sources said the Prime Minister and other senior Ministers and BJP leaders present in the meeting reviewed schemes of every BJP-ruled States including Jammu and Kashmir.
The Water Supply Scheme of Gujarat, agriculture scheme of Jharkhand, education transfer policy of Haryana and education reforms of Rajasthan were rated as best among all 14 BJP ruled States. While there were 13 BJP Chief Ministers in as many States, the party had lone Deputy Chief Minister (Dr Nirmal Singh) in Jammu and Kashmir. It was in power in Punjab as junior coalition partner of Akali Dal but in the recent elections, the Congress came to power there.
Sources said all BJP ruled States including Jammu and Kashmir were directed by Modi and Amit Shah to adopt the best rated schemes of Gujarat, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Haryana.
The meeting decided that henceforth, the BJP ruled States’ Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Minister would meet after every two months and share their experiences of governance and new schemes initiated by them, which could be adopted by other States for welfare of the people.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Housing and Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP general secretary (Incharge Organization) Ram Lal were also present in the meeting among others.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh gave detailed presentation on various schemes of J&K Government with special focus on women and girl child.
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